With special access to the site of the San Josť, Chile, mine, the mining engineers and the miners' families, NOVA chronicles the miners' 69-day ordeal and the work of a global team of engineers who struggled tirelessly around the clock in a desperate bid to bring the trapped miners safely to the surface.

I watch this NOVA a few times a year, just to live the story one more time, and get an always-reliable lump in my throat. The seemingly hopeless situation yielded to determination and strength and technology. This kind of thing is going to happen in future space operations, and was a showcase for the perseverance and strength of a group of men pulling together to stay sane and effective under horrendous conditions for an unprecedented amount of time. I was filled with pride at seeing the American "plan B" succeed, and gratified to see NASA take a very appropriate interest in how they could help, too.

This kind of thing has metaphorical value for all human lives. There's a bit of trapped miner in all of us.